Guard for resetting mechanisms of combination locks



Oct- 30, 1 5 o. H. EIFFERT EIAL I GUARD FOR RESETTING MECHANISMS OF COMBINATION LOCKS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 5, 1950 INVENTORS. 0770 H. EIFFERT HOWARD S. THOMAS, JR.

ATTORNEX 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 o. H. EIFFERT ETAL GUARD FOR RESETTING MECHANISMS OF COMBINATION LOCKS Filed Oct. 5, 1950 IN VEN TORS. 0770 H. E/FFERT BY HOWARD S. THOMAS, JR.

ATTORNEY 5 I JW'I-II lI-llllll llll. Ill lllllullllhuvwl Oct. 30, 1951 Oct. 30, 1951 o. H. EIFFERT ETAL 2,573,189

' GUARD FOR RESETTING MECHANISMS OF COMBINATION LOCKS Filed Oct. 5, 1950 a Sheets-Sheet 3 Ulll INVENTORS.- OTTO l-i E/FFERT HOWARD S. THOMAS, JR.

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 30, 1951 GUARD FOR- RESETTIN G MECHANISMS OF COMBINATION LOCKS Otto H. Eiffert and Howard S. Thomas, Jr.,

Rochester, N. Y., assignors to Sargent & Greenleaf, Inc., Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 3, 1950, Serial No. 188,191

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to resetting mechanism for a combination lock, with particular reference to a padlock construction adapted for use with a hasp staple that is concealed and inaccessible when the lock is in position, and it has for its purpose to alford a simple and practical construction that effectually prevents access to the tumblers for resetting the combination or possible detection of the movement of the tumblers except when the bolt is in unlocking position, thus preventing an unauthorized person from determining the combination by movement of the tumblers.

In tumbler locks of the general type herein involved, the combination can be reset at any time by inserting a key from outside the housing through an opening in the housing and through openings in all of the tumblers when the latter are in a predetermined position, to release the outer disk of the tumblers from their intermediate portions, which can then be reset to any desired combination by turning the dial and drive wheel, and it is a particular purpose of this invention to close the opening through which the resetting key is inserted by means of a, guard member and prevent access to the key opening or observation therethrough of the tumbler mechanism except when the bolt plate is moved to unlocking position, thus making it impossible for a person who is not acquainted with the combination to ascertain the combination, and requiring operation of the combination and movement of the bolt and bolt plate to unlocking positions before the resetting key can be inserted to permit resetting the combinaion.

A further object of the invention is to afford a simple structure of few parts, which can be economically manufactured, and is adapted to a small compact padlock construction for use in connection with file cabinets, drawers, and the like where there is an exposed hasp staple to be secured and which it is desirable to cover and conceal by the padlock when the latter is in position, so that the hasp is protected and inaccessible.

An additional purpose of the invention is to afford a combination resetting mechanism that can be incorporated in a padlock of the type set forth without requiring any increase in the size of the housing or in any way disturbing the relation between the bolt plate and tumbler mechanism or other parts of the lock assembly.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the following de- 20 sition of the parts when the bolt and bolt plate 7 scription when read in conjunction with the ac companying drawings, the novel features being pointed out in the claims following the specificaion.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a, view in elevation of a padlock constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the mechanism, somewhat enlarged, looking from back to front with the rear wall removed, and showing the bolt and bolt plate in locking positions;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged rear elevation showing the rear wall, and in dotted lines the guard member in normal position blocking the resetting key opening;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction indicated;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the pohave been moved to unlocking position and the guard member operated to uncover the resetting key opening in the housing;

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation similar to Fig. 3 showing in dotted lines the position of the guard memher when moved to the position corresponding to Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the position of the parts when the bolt and bolt plate have been again moved to locking positions while maintaining the guard member in position to uncover the resetting key opening as in Figs. 5 and 6, to permit resetting of the combination;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction indicated;

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 9--9 of Fig. 8 looking in the direction indicated;

Fig. 10 is a view in end elevation of the lock;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the bolt plate looking toward the face that is recessed to permit movement of the stop of the guard member;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the bolt plate looking at the side opposite to that illustrated in Fig. 11, and

Fig. 13 is an enlarged detail sectional view on line |3l3 of Fig. 11 looking in the direction indi- :cated.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views, the structure 56 gral end wall 4 at the opposite end of the housing;

and a. rear wall 5 which is attached to the side and end walls in any suitable manner. J ournalled in the front wall I' is an arbor 6 which has fixed thereto the dial 1 arranged on the front of the housing and movable to turn the arbor 6 and to control the tumblers, :as will appear presently.

The arbor '13 at its inner end is provided with a shoulder 8 upon which is supported the bolt plate in a manner that will appear presently, and 9 designates a drive wheel fixedly mounted on the arbor 6, the drive wheel B being notched .at l l on its periphery for cooperation with the fence lever to be referred to hereinafter, while I2'-desi nates the several tumblers rotatably mounted on the arbor 6 and each provided with a gate I 3, for operation in the usual fashion of tumbler combination locks according to which thedial is turned in opposite directions alternately for predetermined numbers of turns until the gates I3 of all the tumblers are in alinement to release the fence leverpwhereupon further rotation of the :dial and drive wheel effiects' 'operation of the fence lever, bolt plate and:bnlt in :a manner that will now be described.

The tumblers 12 are mounted :between the drive wheel-9 sand the front wall "I (of the'housing with their' circu-lar edges adiacent to the curved end wall 3 of the housing so that the parts can be arranged compactly :and occupy a minimum space, and to accomplish this there is provided a .slidable bolt plate comprisin :a :body portion I which underlies-the drive wheel and tumblers and is'slotted at t5, the slotted portion of the bolt plate embracing the arbor 6 and guided on the shoulder 8 of the arbor, between it and the rear wall 5. l6 designates a cylindrical bolt or pin offset forwardly from and formed integral with or fixedly :attached' to the body portion IA of the bolt plate, while H designates 'afence lever pivotally attached to "the bolt plate and having a'dog 18 at its vfree'en'd zfor engagem'ent'with the notch-:H in 'thedrive wheel. A fence 1!! extends laterally from the fence :lever'and is-arra'nged 'to engage the gates 13' in the tumblers.

The belt plate includes a shoulder or enlargement 2! arranged in the pathrof pins 22 :on the drive wheel so that by turning the dial and drive wheel,'the bolt plate and boltxcazn be movedfrom unlocking position back to locking'position'. 23 isia =springfor actuating the fence-lever toward the tumblers, 2 is 'a cam surface formed in one sidewall of the housing to hold the fence lever engaged with the tumblers durin movement of the 'bolt plate; and '25 is a recess to permit the fence lever to move out of engagement with the drive wheel.

' 1n order to guide thebolt lii endwise during 'its sliding movement, "the housing is. provided with a boss 26 having a semi-cylindrical recess 21 therein, and the rear wall 'or back plate 5 1s provided with a'boss 28 having a semi-cylindrical recess 2-9 therein, so that when the-rear wallisassembled and attached' to the side and end walls of "the housing; the boss'28 of the rear wall lies against the boss 26 of the housing and the recesses 2"! and 29 cooperate to afford a cylindrical guide forthe bolt orpin l6 and insure itsproper movement within the housin toward and away from the end wallid, The rear wall has. 'its inner surface' in juxtarela'tion to the adjacent surface of the bolt plate M which is thus held and guided by the rearwall. In this manner, the bolt plate underlies the tumbler-mechanism and drive wheel ch are concentrically arranged, and the housmg requires only additional area suificient to allow movement of the bolt into the hasp staple.

The lock is attachable to a hasp staple that may extend from a drawer, door, or other part to be secured, and the lock is insertable over such hasp staple through an opening 3| in the rear Wall and boss 28, and a recess '32 formed in the boss 26 within the housing.

The parts thus far described are substantially as disclosed in copending application Serial No. 188,192, filed October 3, 1950, and. this application .has to do with mechanism that prevents observing the tumbler mechanism or gaining access thereto for resetting the tumbler combination except when the bolt and bolt plate have been moved to unlocking positions, so that the combination cannot be reset by an unauthorized personorby-someone who does not know the existing combination.

Theconstruction of the tumblers and the manner in which the outer disks of each tumbler are disconnected from the intermediate portion to permit resettin the combination. forms :no part of this invention, it being understood that the tumblers are disconnected for resetting the combination by insertin a key through an'openin in the housing and through the tumblers after all the tumblers are moved to apredetermined position, and in order to prevent access to the tumblers through the key opening 'and to prevent resetting the combination by anyone not conversant with the existing combination, there is provided a movable guard member located in the path of the key that must be inserted before resetting the tumblers, the guard member completely blocking the key opening and preventing access to or observance of the tumblers through the opening except when the bolt 'pl'ate and bolt have been moved to unlocking positions, :the bolt plate cooperatingwith the guard member to 'prevent its movement except when the parts are in unlocking positions.

To accomplish this, the rear wall '5 is recessed as indicated at 33 and within the recess "33 is located a guardmember or plate 34 that is "pivotally arranged around the reduced end 35 of arborfi and rotatable 'within-the recess-'33 to block and uncover the key receiving opening 3=T -ln the rear wall '5. The opening 3! in the rear wall receives the key that disconnects the tumbler parts to permit resetting the combination, as we'll known-in the art, and in the normal position of theparts, the opening 37 is :blocked by the guard member "34 which underlies-opening 37, as shown in Fig. 3. 33 designates an opening in the guard member which is adapted to register with opening .3! as shown in Fig. "6 to permit insertion of the rtumbler resetting control key when the bolt pl'at'e'and bolt have been moved to unlocking positions, 'as will be described presently.

The guard member 34 is movable from the normal or blocking position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 to the unblocking position illustrated in Fig. 6, such movementbeing efiectedby a fingerpiece or button 39 that is accessible from the outer surface of the rear wall and extends through a slot 4| in the rear wall, being permanently connected to the guard member 3'4. Movement of the guard member inoppo'site directions is limited by the slot 4|, while 42 designates a spring permanently connected to the. guard member and engaging one edge .of recess 33, acting to hold the guard member normallyin the position illustrated in Fig. 3 and thus blocking the key receiving opening 31.

"In order to prevent movement of the guard member 34 when the bolt plate is in locking po-. s'ition, the guard member 34 is provided with a stop or pin 43 fixed thereto and engaging one edge 01' the bolt plate, as illustrated in Fig. 2, when the bolt plate is in locking position. The guard member cannot be moved'when the'bolt plate is thus positioned, or until the bolt plate has been operated away from locking position. In order to reset the combination, the existing combination must be known and the dial manipulated to effect movement of the bolt and bolt plate to unlocking position, as illustrated in Fig. 5. When the bolt plate is in such unlocking position, the guard member can be manually moved to the position indicated in Fig. 6 by engaging the button 39. To permit this, the bolt plate is provided on its surface facing the guard member and stop 43 with a recess or cutaway portion including a longitudinal path 44 extending endwise of the bolt plate and atransverse path 45 extending laterally of the bolt plate to the edge thereof and affording a passage that permits entry of the stop 43 into the recess.

After the bolt and bolt plate have been moved to unlocking position, as shown in Fig. 5, the guard member 34 is manually operated by engaging button 39 and turned to the position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, at which time stop 43 will have entered the transverse path 45 of the recess and occupied the position illustrated in Fig. 5. The guard member is manually held in this position against the action of spring 42 while moving the bolt and bolt plate back to locking position, as illustrated in Fig. 7, such movement being necessary in order to move the bolt plate out of the path of the tumbler controlling key and to disengage the fence lever from the tumblers and drive wheel previously to the resetting operation. When the parts are in the position illustrated in Fig. 7, the longitudinal path 44 of the recess in the bolt plate holds the stop 43 and the guard member against movement.

During such return movement of the bolt and bolt plate, the tumblers are disarranged or upset by means of the spring catch 46 fixedly mounted on a block 41, see Fig. 12, that is slidable on an upstanding supporting portion of an extension 48 on the bolt plate, while 49 designates a spring connecting the block 41 with the extension on the bolt plate and permitting movement of the block and spring catch 46 on the bolt plate, as more fully shown in copending application Serial No. 188 193, filed October 3, 1950. Thus when the bolt and bolt plate are moved back to locking position as illustrated in Fig. 7, the tumblers are disarranged and the fence lever l1 disengaged from the tumblers and drive wheel. The opening 31 is now uncovered, as illustrated in Fig. 6, and in order to reset the combination, the dial is manipulated in accordance with the existing combination, but by bringing the indicating numbers on the dial to the index position 5|, see Fig. 1, instead of the normal unlacking index position 52, the tumblers are moved until their key receiving openings 53 are all in alinement to receive the resetting key, and at the same time the fence lever is disengaged from the tumblers and drive wheel, as illustrated in Fig. 7. Then by inserting the tumbler controlling key through opening 31 of the rear wall and into the openings 53 of the tumblers, the latter can be arranged for resetting by turning the key to disconnect the outer disks from the central portions of the tumblers in accordance with conventional practice in the art, and any desired new combination established by turning the dial alternately to the respective desired numbers. After the new combination is thus eifected, the control key is removed from the tumblers and the dial then manipulated in accordance with the new combination to permit movement of the bolt and bolt plate from the locking position of Fig. '7 to the unlocking position of Fig. 5, and when in this position, the stop 43 is free to move through the transverse path 45 of the recess in the bolt plate, and spring 42 thereuponreturns the guard member 34 from the position illustrated in Fig. 6 back to the position illustrated in Fig. 3 in which the key opening 31 is blocked. Upon restoring the bolt and bolt plate to locking positions, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the combination cannot again be reset and the key receiving opening remains blocked until the bolt and bolt plate are again moved to unlocking positions, and this cannot be eifected except by someone knowing the combination to which the tumblers have been adjusted.

54 is a spring arranged between the rear wall, the guard member, and the drive wheel and acting to hold the drive wheel in proper relationship to the bolt plate and tumbler mechanism. In order to secure the rear wall 5 to the housing, the side walls 2 'may be cut away at their edges to afiord a recess and the rear and side walls provided with cooperating openings affording a cylindrical recess within which pins 55 are driven and tightly fitted to secure the rear wall.

While the invention has been described with reference to the particular construction shown, it is not confined to the details herein disclosed, and this application is intended to cover such modifications or departures as may come within the purposes of the improvements and the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a combination lock, the combination with a housing including a wall having a combination resetting key opening therein, rotatable tumblers, a bolt plate movable under said wall, and tumbler resetting mechanism, of a guard member normally blocking said key opening in the wall and movable to expose said opening, spring means yieldably holding the guard member in blocking position, and stop means controlled'by the bolt plate acting to prevent movement of the guard member except when the bolt plate is in unlocked position.

2. In a combination lock, the combination with a housing including a wall having a combination resetting key opening therein, rotatable tumblers, a bolt plate movable under said wall, and tumbler resetting mechanism, of a guard member movably supported on said wall and normally blocking said key opening, the guard member being movable to expose said opening, yieldable spring means holding the guard member in blocking position, and stop means controlled by the bolt plate acting to prevent movement of the uard member except when the bolt plate is in unlocked position.

3. In a combination lock, the combination with a housing including a wall having a combination resetting key opening therein, rotatable tumblers, a bolt plate movable under said wall, and tumbler resetting mechanism, of a guard member seated and rotatable in arecess in said wall and normally blocking said key opening, a spring yieldably holding the guard member in blocking position, and stop means controlled by-thebolt plate acting to prevent movement of the guard member except when the "bolt plate is in unlocking position.

4. In a combination lock, the combination with a-housing including a wall having a combination resetting keyopening therein, rotatable tumblers, a bolt plate movable under said wall, and tumbler resetting mechanism, of a guard member normally blocking said key opening and movable to expose the opening, spring means yielda-bly holding the guard member in blocking position, and a stop carried by the guard member engaging saidbolt plate to hold the guard member against movement when the bolt plate is in looking position, the bolt plate-being cut away and permitting movement of the stop and guard member when the bolt plate is in unlocking position and holding the guard member' in unblock-ing 'posi-- tion-dur ing endwise movement of the'bolt plate.

5. In a'combinationlock, the combination-with ahousing including a wall-having a combination resetting key opening therein, rotatable tumblers, a bolt plate movable under said wall, and tumbler resetting'mechanism, of a guard member movably supported between said wall and bolt plate and normally blocking said 'key opening in the wall, said guard member being movable to expose said opening, spring'means yieldably holding the guard member in blocking position, and a stop carried by the guard member engaging said 'bolt plate and holding the guard member against movem'ent when the bolt'plate i iinil'ocking position, the-bolt'plate'having a recess facing said stop with :a transverse path that admits arbor, a multiplicity of tumblers loosely mounted on the arbor between said drive wheel and "the front wall of the housing, said tumblers being operatively'associated with said drive wheel and arbor, a bolt plate underlying said tumblers and drive wheel,tum-bler resetting mechanism, and

the stopover the bolt plate when the bolt plate member being'movable to expose said opening,

yieldable spring means holding the guard member in blocking position, and a stop on the guard member engaging the bolt plate and preventing movement of the guard member when the bolt plate isiin locking position, the bolt plate having a recess facing said stop and acting to receive said stop and permit movement of the guard member when the'bolt plate is in unlocking position.

'7. A combination padlock comprising a housing having front, rear, side, and end walls, the rear wall having anopening therein adjacent -.to one end of 'the housing to receive a hasp staple, a dial :rotatable' on said-front wall adjacent to the other end of the housing, an arbor journalled in said front wall and having said dial fixedly mounted thereon, a drive wheel fixed :on said a guard member movably supported between said rear wall and bolt plate normally blocking said key opening in the wall and movable to expose said opening, spring means yieldably .holding the guard member in blocking position, and a stop carried by the guard member engaging said bolt plate and holding the guard member againstmovement when the "bolt plate is in lookin position, the bolt plate being recessed to permit movement of the stop and guard member when the bolt plate-is in unlocking position and 1507110161 the guard member in unblocking 'position during endwise movement of the bolt plate.

8. In a combination lock, the combination with a housing including front and rear walls, the rear wall having a resetting key opening therein, a dial rotatable onsaid front wall, an arbor journalled in :said front wall and having said -:dial fixedly mounted thereon, a drive wheel fixed on the arbor, a multiplicity of tumblers loosely mounted -'on the arbor between said drive wheel and said front wall, said tumblers being operatively associated withsaid drive wheel and-arbor a bolt plate including .a body portion underlying said tumblers and drive wheel, tumbler resetting mechanism, and a guard member movably supported .on the inner surface of saidrear wall of the housing underlying said key opening, said guard member normally blocking said key .opening in the rear wall and-having an opening thatregisters with said key opening in the rear wall when the guard member is moved, actuating means extending through said rear wall :and accessible :from outside the housing to move .said guard member to-uncover the key-opening,.-spring means yieldably v holding said guard .member in blocking position, and a stop carried by .said guardmember and movable into the path of the bolt plate, .the bolt platebeing. recessed opposite to said stop, said recess including a longitudinal path permitting endwise movement .of thebolt, 7

REFERENCES .CITED The following references are of record in thefile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 'Name Date 821,548 Streeter et al May 22, 1906 906,803 Jervey Dec. 15, 1908 1,084,764 Storr Jan. 20, 1914 2,224,875 Machinist Dec. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Certificate Patent No. 2,573,189 Patented October 30, 1951 Otto H. Eifi'ert and Howard S. Thomas, Jr. Application having been made by Otto H. Eifi'ert and Howard S. Thomas,

J r., the mventors named in the above identified patent, and Hal-{by C. Miller of e issuance of a ection 256 of the United States Code,

adding the name of said Harry G. Miller to the patent as a joint inventor and a showin and proof of facts satisfying the requirements of the said section having heen submitte it is this 9th day of June, 1959, certified that the name of the said Harry G. Miller is hereby added to the said patent as a joint inventor with the said inventors named in the ARTHUR W. CROOKER,

First Assistant Gammz'asz'oner of Patents. 

